As mentioned in the first part of our blog series on the transformation of the Chateau de Montcaud, when we visited the chateau for the first time, we stood outside the shut gates and looked in on an overgrown park. Nature had run wild and reclaimed its territory of the five hectares surrounding the buildings.

Well looked after

It was clear from the start that simply mowing the lawn would not be enough. Our valued park deserves the best care, which is why we decided to work with Marc Brillat-Savarin, renowned landscape architect and forestry engineer. He combines an extensive knowledge on trees with intuition and a sure instinct for plants, which insured us that we would be making the right decisions in terms of the rescaping of the land, and returning this magical place to its original glory.

Rejuvenation of the park

Unfortunately, the expert’s diagnosis was not just benign, and a number of century-old trees had to be cut down alongside vast amounts of shrubbery due to decay caused by climate change, parasites and time. Over 200m³ of wood has been lumbered in the park since the start of the restoration works. What‘s left is a number of beautiful, strong trees which can be spotted from miles away behind the walls surrounding the chateau. Thanks to the region‘s mild climate, the undergrowth has since recuperated and new plants have filled the voids left by the foresters. Moreover, several young trees will be added to the park’s inventory as of spring 2018.

Back to the roots

The layout of the park has been designed based on the original plans of 1892. Several paths invite you to stroll through the park, and admire nature’s work. Furthermore, the tour along the walls of the chateau is an ideal stretch for joggers. Alongside the wonderful plant and animal life, the attentive rambler will discover ponds and a hidden grotto, ruins of annex buildings of the original estate, and a channel which used to serve the silk mill.

A museum of trees

The park features over one hundred types of trees: maple and chestnut trees, gingko and sequoia to name a few. And while counting over one hundred and fifty rings in the stumps of the Atlas cedar trees, you may just discover Chateau de Montcaud’s new logo.